There is no thnx allowed, dude! I have to blame myself, I wasnt able til today, to just finish up my Ascendancy Mod, that was near perfect and I just quit, as always, the tragedy of a genius. That is really a problem to me. I just dig deep into the matter and explode by dynamics in any direction, put an effort into it, and after a while, it turns out, that the experience and fun is over, the first welcome, to take our virginity in a blast of orgies and orgasms, and now, to finish that huge amount of crappy work, it would be just a huge amount of crappy work left, and no fun at all, and then, I fucking leave. I ate the fun, and quit the work.

Right before I would finish up my vision, I lose grip and just leave, ALWAYS. So, just BLAME ME, for not doing the last two hours and finish up that Mod, since over a year. I do it myself.

In Germany, there is a tale: Always a little child screamed, while being a shepherd: The wolf is coming, the wolf is coming! And all the people of the village came together in anger and fear, to kill the beast, and always, it was just a joke. The last time, when the child screamed, when the wolf actually appeared, no one came, and the child was dead.

I listen to Logic Factory announcements since 1995, and NEVER, the wolf appeared.

It might be a sad dream of a guy, long lost his momentum, his money, his crew, his company, to bad written and long gone ambitions.

Do you know, how much money, Star Citizen, got? A quarter billion. And even these guys are in an Alpha Stage still. To create, today, a huge game, and just watch Star Citizen Squadron 42 trailers on YouTube, to create such an enormous game, you need millions of dollars, you need actual support, actual... interests, greed, fire, burning, we want to eat and die! Such a thing.

The Logic Factory is down, sadly, and all of these announcements, every four years, just were bullshit, one by another. You wait for four years, get one single shot of a bullshit sentence, and then, you wait another four years, THAT, was the story of Ascendancy 1995 til now. To create a Multiverse Ascendancy 2, he would need support, and as long that guy does no Kickstarter, Crowdfunding, and a serious announcement "we want to collect at least 500.000 dollars to kickstart our ambitions again" that is ALL just steam in a toilet!

~~~

I really have in the dark backsides of my mind to finish up that Ascendelyxe 1.6 Mod of mine! I am just an asshole, not to! I solved nearly everything, and that game kicks asses now fulltime. The problem was two things:

1) I would have had to tweak some weapon stuff PLUS write the new values into the INFO, that was too much for me. To tweak a dozen of weapons, but PLUS, to compare all the actual values with the INFO values.

2) To compare the TURN entries of the NEW TEC TREE with the actual appearing turns in-game, caused by a slight hardcoded edge twisting turns a little.

These were my two "problems" I didnt want to go down on anymore. Brrrrrrrr. I hate compare tweak shit.

~~~

At least, I try to create a Total Conversion from time to time, I began end of 2015 to convert the Hex Game "Panzer Corps" by Slitherine into a Star General Total Conversion.

Star General, you know, one of the best Game ruins EVER, nobody knows. Panzer General. Fantasy General. Star General. Currently I worked on my Star General Total Conversion and I at least have a unit now called "Logic Factory", actually, a Logic Factory to destroy that building and to get money for. That will be fun! Every time my Khalian Stormtroopers will reach a fucking Logic Factory, they ll burn it. Yeah! Lets burn that fucking building, and earn money and buy another tank for our core troopers!

~~~

14-10-2018 11:17 AM

Blake00

Thanks @Nicheal ! I love this game and have been thinking of replaying Ascendancy ever since I did a minor tribute to it on my Imperium Galactica and similar games website (been 20yrs so I want to play again and do a proper big tribute to it). Your AI mod should make it a more interesting experience!

Might interest you guys to know that Ascendancy's creator recently posted on the Ascendancy FB page for the first time in 4 years about how busy his life is etc but that he's never forgotten about the dream of creating a sequel. Can't find his post now but he's since posted a poll on whether fans would want humans as a faction in the sequel if it gets made.

Ps I can't believe I haven't logged into this forum since 2006.. what the hell lol!!

06-08-2017 09:36 PM

Nicheal

Yes, ask Nicheal! The great. Always a fucking waste of my time when some noobs weave into the thread and make blah blah without reading nothing.

Notepad++ can just be used, if you dont change the end of line position, otherwise the game crashes, yes. Using a Hex Editor would be an option, using the CobExtractor itself, is the perfect solution, but it is a kind of a waste of my time, telling that every person again.

The iOS version is the same fuck just with touch screen. It was iOS only, another fault in that series of faults of these broke creators of that game, anyway, they did not solve any problems there - still a pity ruin of a game with a AI like an idiot. Still crap. Doesnt matter to me at all how to mod that. To play that on a pity smartphone touch screen is an idea of a wanker. Now that company is broke anyway, and the game is dead totally, caused by the wise decisions of wankers - they had twenty years talking bullshit, and did an iOS only smartphone version, with touch screen and some nice gimmicks without solving a single crap - amateurs!

And i could talk and talk, and that half a dozen guys out there, wont even recognize anything, so just crap around with your ASCEND00.CRAP and dont listen to me! Dont download my Mod, dont listen to me, just wank and crap around, go on!

The ANTAG.EXE crashes anyway caused by the Domain Error in SQRT, it is an unstable .EXE wich increases its pain in the ass by every change you make in ASCEND00.COB, especially if you do that wisest of all solutions and let the Special Weapons shoot - so, go on, dont download my Mod, dont read my comments, and crap around silly! Useless, if you dont get the Special Weapons to shoot by AI anyway, like i did! But if you do, the ANTAG.EXE grows much more unstable and loves to crash.

The ANTAG.EXE is made by total idiots anyway. Neutral gives a diplomacy all versus human player. War the same, plus industry and research boost for the AI. Problem: All versus human player ONLY, so that all of these idiot species just make war versus you. Problem: That is a hard code fucked up problem, the AI idiot species dont make war versus each other, mostly, and so, they dont build up huge empires versus you. The diplomacy of the unstable ANTAG.EXE is total crap. If you change much in ASCEND00.COB, the ANTAG.EXE crashes much more. I, the by far best Modder of that pity old game ruin, use the 1996 ASCEND.EXE patch. You get the ships quite good, the planets good, it does not crash, you can change everything, you lose the ability of a better planetary management, yes, but all of the other stuff is quite good, like diplomacy.

The only way to use the ANTAG.EXE is on Peaceful, where the diplomacy isnt total crap, just as usual. If you modify the diplomacy values in the ASCEND00.COB, you get more aggression anyway, like i did, so you could tweak it. The ANTAG.EXE Neutral and War hardcoded bullshit, just... sucks. Lucky, that if you change too much parameters, the ANTAG.EXE crashes anyway, no matter what you do. So i cannot use the ANTAG.EXE while modding and playing a good diplomacy. My Mod is fantastic, and every guy weaving into that thread, gives a damn and asks his bullshit - not even solving the problem, that the fucking Special Weapons arent even used by AI ships, what i -the fuck- DID!

blah blah end

EDIT 1:

O wow, Mystvan and tienk teach me, that i am unbalanced, aggro and insane..... clean up your own mess first! my suggestion. That i am totally right, is totally right. It does not matter to me getting banned! My only thing is here, that i try to mod Ascendancy to a "best possible stage", end.

It does not matter to me, that i "get visits or clicks". It is just insane, that kdb and Jordos for example, dont even download my Mod. Jordos, tries to hack the .EXE down, to tweak stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you know how disgusting hard that is??? Instead of reading my comments, download my Mod, and get 99 % better results. And kdb begins to mod by Hex Editor, not even getting my solution, how to let Special Weapons shoot. That is NOTHING, if the AI ships dont shoot with the Disintegrator, it is just a childish tweaking, nothing more.

So all Specials shoot! The Tec Tree could be changed! Wow. THEN do your stuff. My suggestion.

But does not matter anyway. I try to finish up my Mod, and upload it - wherever.

EDIT 2:

The last weeks i gave the ANTAG.EXE another shot, cause the ANTAG.EXE builds nice AI ships, and uses the... english word... phase bomb? The ANTAG.EXE has a perfect planetary management, and uses the phase bomb. The ASCEND.EXE is stable, and merciful for Modders, the ANTAG.EXE really NOT. The ANTAG.EXE has a hardcoded diplomacy crap, and does not forgive Modding, and crashes if you get the Special Weapons actually to shoot at you. Pity. Pity. Pity.

We got two .EXEs with special faults. I would prefer the 1996 ASCEND.EXE patch, and a fairy gives into that, the ANTAG.EXE planetary management plus two phase bombs in every AI ship. That would be perfect. Perhaps Neutral much industry and research boost. War fucking much.

Diplomacy no hardcode, just to tweak in ASCEND00.COB, that would be lovely, but to hack the .EXE is just disgusting hard. So, i gave the last two months, the ANTAG.EXE another shot.

It failed again. But my Special Weapons grew... badass. The Molecular Tie Down has Weapons Ability now, so it stops your ship, plus damages your ship. That Positron Bouncer, another AI prancer teethless weapon, all Weapons, Special Weapons, disgusting once - the AI ships used just all of these Special Weapons, prancing around, kick you there, kick you there, manoeuvre, dont use weapons, dont use anything, stand still, die.

That was disgusting! Now my Positron Prancer is most lovely. It pushes you backwards, not really much, but just out of range, gives you a smart little ship damage, is used as main weapon, perhaps 3 of them in an enemy AI ship, is most disgusting for you, and is called Brutal Burst. A most lovely Special Weapon now, firing! You ll hate it.

ALL of my Special Weapons, are AI most functional cunts now! They dont waste time now, they turn to dust now. Ready for usage by enemy AI ships, MASSIVELY!

The diplomacy will be GREAT! Endless war, with options of alliance. All versus all.

The tec tree is completely modded, cause i found out, that you have to delete the RESUME.GAM, where the tec tree, once loaded by NEW GAME, or save game, is stored, like the solar system names, and does an override versus the ASCEND00.COB values! So, delete the RESUME.GAM, and let your ASCEND00.COB be loaded, fresh into game, so that the RESUME.GAM does not override your new written data.

I got 99 % of all of that, working, dudes!

So read my stuff, and download my stuff. Please.

05-08-2017 02:08 AM

Mystvan

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdb150

Hi, I am trying to make some edits to Ascend00.COB, but I can't get it to run after I edit it. All of the old guides have disappeared off the web, sadly, and I was wondering if anyone can explain how I can edit the COB file values and make it work using just a text editor.

I think I can leverage the free buildings the Antag gives the AI, and disable a bunch of useless stuff like scanners and cloakers and low-level weapons to basically give them a decent head start force them to build better early ships with more colonizers. An explanation of how to successfully tweak values and make the edited COB file run with the game would be really appreciated. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdb150

Thanks, editing was really simple in the hex editor.

Has anyone tried to edit the iOS version? I'm assuming the COB values are probably kicking around in there somewhere where they could be edited, but I don't want to waste my time jailbreaking for access to the files if not. The ability to set ship destinations from the cluster view is something I don't think I could do without on dense and very dense clusters; moving all of those ships across the cluster manually is extremely tedious.

I think you should ask Nicheal. Nichael? Nichael Jackson?

I also used a hex editor to edit the location, status, etc. of the characters of the Lands of Lore. This is only for those who understand this, which is not my case...

04-08-2017 06:24 PM

kdb150

Thanks, editing was really simple in the hex editor.

Has anyone tried to edit the iOS version? I'm assuming the COB values are probably kicking around in there somewhere where they could be edited, but I don't want to waste my time jailbreaking for access to the files if not. The ability to set ship destinations from the cluster view is something I don't think I could do without on dense and very dense clusters; moving all of those ships across the cluster manually is extremely tedious.

04-08-2017 01:02 PM

tienkhoanguyen

Remember my dad's advice: Always have a backup. - Nguyen Binh Thuy

If you hex edit your game data and it is messed up you could lose your game especially if you bought it. You will have to start all over or worst if it was bought online. Some places will allow you to receive free replacement for your lost if you have a receipt. Many places are hard about that I've found! I guess the idea is people could claim they lost it and get another one for their friend for free.

04-08-2017 11:44 AM

tienkhoanguyen

Hi!

Some tips from an old programmer. If you are going to edit with a simple text editor that is usually very hard. Try editing using a hex editor. The reason is a text editor shifts a character that you edit right or left (usually right) and that affects how the game reads the file. A hex editor on the other hand will replace the value instead of shifting the rest of the values and messing the positional section up! So for instance the game will scan a value at position 3 for a troop. If you shift the value to position 4 then it could be anything at position 3 and that would make the game crash!!! Well editing a file is usually hard depending on how the game was programmed. Most game has their own format and will only read uppercase values [ie A instead of a]. Other games might read shifted characters for encryption purposes so you do not mess with it or it is harder to tamper with. Most people in the industry are out for money so they will make it hard to decipher or mess with.

Anyways I could not get the game to work so I do not know. It could also be that the game did not work in the first place? Having "cheats" can be fun!!!!! However. Good luck in figuring it out.

I have given free advice from a programmer's point of view. However I need money to live too. If you find my advice useful try to reach me somehow and donate a few pennies. hehe Seriously, a few pennies may not be much however a little from everyone makes me rich!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways I am too paranoid to give out my address#

Take care and if you do not have enough money or just a kid just be safe and stick to your parents. Listen to your parents they worked hard. Just be good and graduate.

04-08-2017 03:07 AM

kdb150

Hi, I am trying to make some edits to Ascend00.COB, but I can't get it to run after I edit it. All of the old guides have disappeared off the web, sadly, and I was wondering if anyone can explain how I can edit the COB file values and make it work using just a text editor.

I think I can leverage the free buildings the Antag gives the AI, and disable a bunch of useless stuff like scanners and cloakers and low-level weapons to basically give them a decent head start force them to build better early ships with more colonizers. An explanation of how to successfully tweak values and make the edited COB file run with the game would be really appreciated. Thanks.

07-06-2017 02:21 PM

Nicheal

Well, i finally succeeded to get an ANTAG.LE out of that by unbinding. LE means linear executable, and these LE are bind by a DOS Extender to increase memory.

The "DOS/32 Advanced DOS Extender" seems to be made by idiots, and didnt work for me at all. Every time i tried to use the included SB.EXE to unbind my ASCEND.EXE, the DosBox told a "fatal error", that "it is not installed properly", and internet told that i would have to "set the DOS/32" blah blah blah bullshit. Why easy, or even complicated, when its better to make it malfunctional.

@jordos had the luck, that he was able to just grab the SB.EXE and get results by SB /U ANTAG.EXE - for me, it did not work at all and that whole software was just a numb idiot - no matter what and how i tried.

But i had the genius idea to grab PMODE/W, another DOS Extender, and i had to grab PMWBIND.EXE to get my ANTAG.LE by PMWBIND /U ANTAG.EXE - so, i had the luck one software later.

Then i opened by IDA Pro Free 5.0 the ANTAG.EXE and > Load file > Additional binary file > search for all files > ANTAG.LE, and tada! i got just an even huger pile of gibberish. I would have been lucky to find something like "if if if" but no. Just an even huger pile of fucking gibberish.

I am sooo close to lose my virginity! lol

~~~

Perhaps i should just suggest three things to change in .EXE perhaps:

- 2 ships per solar system

- AI colonizes ALL planets or, just much more

- better ship building

i am just a poor modder and no programmer! and i wont beat the shit out of me just to crap around.

~~~

I d even bet, that @jordos didnt even download / play my Mod actually, and that tienk didnt succeed in playing it! What has to be made clear is definitely: That the special weapons shoot, and the tec tree is much better, and the game is much better, just to tweak the ASCEND00.COB by Notepad++, nothing more needed! Not even to extract the .COB files, not even to tweak the .exes.

I ll see, to finish my Mod, but i want it to do, just... DONE once and for all, i ll see!

~~~

Another problem seems to be for me, with the IDA 5.0, that i dont get by type F5, the pseudo code. A plugin for IDA 5.0 to decompile into pseudo code and opening that option in software itself, works just version 6.4 and not for the Free 5.0, so, i dont get any pseudo code out of it.

Dont know how to find some "if orders", i understand a bit more now, after opening some .exes, how that is meant to be and meant to work, i even began to understand hex code a bit more now, but my hope to "just get" some true "if orders" out of that gibberish cake, crashed totally.

The good thing is, that, as i told, just my Mod is needed.

@jordos

You dont have to tweak the .exe at all, if you use Notepad++ and tweak the ASCEND00.COB, you can do nearly EVERYTHING. To let the special weapons shoot, to change the tec tree, to change how the ships are built, to change diplomacy, all there! It is a really modern created DOS game, with open files to mod at all! Even if the AI is crap often, but if you tweak the ASCEND00.COB well, promise, it is much less crap at all!

FIRST download my Mod, and use Notepad++ to check out my ASCEND00.COB, to find out, easy, to tweak that stuff, THEN tweak the rest .exe! My suggestion.

~~~

8.6. / EDIT 21.7.

I did stop modding, right before i finished up my new version of ASCENDELYXE 2.0 - a kind of a good thing, cause a german fellow called "Franky", the guy who found out how to let specials actually shoot, tweaks around still, and gave me some ideas which i could implement now, or later. I could tweak the special weapon of the cannibalizer, to actually being used on friends or enemies! Looking forward to try that out.

07-06-2017 04:08 AM

tienkhoanguyen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicheal

8.4.2013 DONE-DATE
For all the Dudes out there, loving to play Ascendancy, i tried to accomplish
my ASCEND DELYXE AND HEAVY DELYXE, or ASCENDELYXE 1.6 MOD.
It is hard to get that damned Thing perfect while the Game lacks badly,
but i think its alright now. For all the Dudes out there, getting my MOD to work:

For all the others: .

>You´ll need to download all 7 Packs, and unpack.
These 6 .rars include the ASCEND01.COB and a few GFX Tweaks for better Gaming.

>You´ll find a Folder ´Delyxe´, a BATCH, a README, the ASCEND.EXE
(Patch from 1996) for USE ONLY, (the ANTAG.EXE crashes), and the new ASCEND01.COB.

>Backup your original ASCEND01.COB (but youll never need it anymore).
Then copy and paste the whole Stuff into your Main Directory Ascendancy.

>Load the Batch and choose a Game: DELYXE, with ALL Specials, HEAVY DELYXE,
without 14 deleted Specials, for totally crazy and most heavy AI Ships.

>If the Solar System Names have changed, you play an ASCEND00.COB by me.
If not, please read any Manual to finally succeed in getting that Mod to work. Patience!

>Dont research Advanced AI Warfare, that allows the stupid AI
to build AI War Centers for more Industry, and AI War Engine for more Ship Energy.

>Dont build AI War Centers on your Planets, and AI War Engine
on your Ships, thats for the stupid AI ONLY, to increase the AI Enemies pure Strength.

>Build up Planets with many Shipyards and one Orbital Dock,
to being able to build huge Ships fast enough, to face the AI Industry Plus.

>Look at the Weapons Menu for Colonizer and Invader Moduls.
The most once Super Special Weapons and Colonizer and Invader are Weapons now, firing.

4.8.2013 CHECK-DATE
After a really... hard Game, for Ascendancy, some Minor Tweaks like,
forgot to change 1.5 into 1.6 in the Batch File (), forgot to change
the Shift Info Text for Invader and Colonizer, changed Yr. into Year, o yes,
and made the Super Hard Weapons more expensive in Energy Need,
and made the Ship Building MUCH harder for the Human Player ().

The only Thing missing, is, to perhaps get any Feedback by all those,
succeeded in playing my Mod (), or perhaps all those, NOT succeeded in ().
The Lack of the Game, no Modder could ever beat off, but i think, for a
real Ascendancy Fan, my Mod is WORTH playing. Its a pity, that nobody knows it!
Its better than i hoped before, and a real and really TOUGH BadAss Joy ()!!!

Have Fun!

Quote

I don't know if the game if any good. However I just downloaded all 7 attachments. Good thing it is not big. Thank you either way. I guess I'm in the mood to relax since I'm in a down moment and need a way to pick me up. Hopefully some nice scenary.

This thread has more than 10 replies.
Click here to review the whole thread.